Title

Author

Date of Award

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Joe Jeffers

Abstract

Object: To determine the sensitivity of insects to ultraviolet light and also to verify their response to varying intensities of white light.

Theory: Insects are generally sensitivity to light of any wave-length. Some insects' reactions are due to the response of specialized epidermal cells whereas the center of most response is in the compound eye. The reaction is generally thought to be due to an electro-chemical reaction within the light sensitive cells of the compound eye, i.e. mainly the cells of the crystalline cone and the rhabdomere. Insects tend to react more strongly to light in the ultraviolet region although the mechanism(s) which cause this reaction have not been established.

It has been observed experimentally that the magnitude of the insects' response to white light is directly proportional to the intensity of the light. The actual cause of this response has also not been determined.

Downloads

Included in

Share

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.